Chapter 72: Leveraging Influence
Fu Tingyun asked Zhao Ling, "What does the Shanxi Datong Company do?"
"They specialize in north-south trade," Zhao Ling mused. "They're the largest shareholder of Baoqing Tower." He sighed with some admiration, "I originally thought they only dealt in medicinal herbs and furs with the Northeast, but I didn’t expect they also organized merchant caravans to trade with the Arabs."
Fu Tingyun felt these matters had little to do with her. She was more concerned about when she could finish Zhao Ling’s fur coat.
After leaving Yongchang Garrison, heavy snow began to fall.
The snowflakes drifted down, and within the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the wilderness was blanketed in white.
They took shelter at an inn near Dongle Post Station in Shandan Guard. Upon stepping out of the carriage, they saw Master Ye, with his distinctive mustache, standing alone at the inn’s entrance, hands clasped behind his back. He gazed solemnly at the falling snow, lost in thought.
When he noticed Zhao Ling, he showed a hint of surprise but still nodded politely in greeting.
Zhao Ling was also taken aback but returned the nod and brushed past Master Ye into the inn.
Yang Yucheng couldn’t help but glance back at Master Ye’s figure.
Jin Yuanbao suggested, "Why don’t we stay here for the night? The snow is too heavy—if we can’t reach the next post station, we’ll be in trouble."
Zhao Ling agreed.
Jin Yuanbao requested several rooms from the innkeeper.
No sooner had they settled in than a commotion erupted outside.
Zheng Sanniang had just finished making Fu Tingyun’s bed and went to help Zheng San tidy up their rooms. Fu Tingyun, meanwhile, was absorbed in sewing the trim on the fur coat—once the edges were done, the coat would be ready to wear.
The noise outside grew louder and soon approached their quarters.
"None left? Then clear out two rooms for us!" a rough voice bellowed. "Do you have a death wish?"
The innkeeper repeatedly apologized.
Someone began pounding on the door of the neighboring room—Zhao Ling’s.
Fu Tingyun grew worried and set aside her needlework to open the door.
But just as her hand touched the latch, the door of the adjacent room creaked open, and Zhao Ling’s voice rang out, "Who’s there?"
Remembering that only men were outside, Fu Tingyun cracked the door open slightly to peek.
Seven or eight men crowded the hallway, surrounding an arrogant-looking man dressed in a green Lu silk robe. The innkeeper smiled obsequiously, bowing repeatedly.
One of the men behind the green-robed figure shouted, "We’re from the Gansu General Military Headquarters. On official business. Hand over your rooms."
Fu Tingyun frowned.
If they were truly from the Gansu General Military Headquarters and on official business, why weren’t they staying at the free post station next door instead of this paid inn?
"So you’re from the Gansu General Military Headquarters," Zhao Ling said coolly, smiling. "I happen to be heading there to report. In a way, we’re colleagues. May I ask where you serve? Perhaps we can share a drink sometime."
His expression was stern, his chin slightly raised as he regarded the green-robed man with an air of condescension, as if the Gansu General Military Headquarters meant nothing to him. The group exchanged uneasy glances, falling silent for a long moment.
"Brother," the green-robed man ventured cautiously, his tone now tinged with probing curiosity, "may I ask your rank? It would be an honor to share a drink with you someday." His eyes darted about as he forced a smile."Oh," Zhao Ling said indifferently, "I'm going to Zhuanglang Garrison as a Centurion..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the group burst into laughter, their expressions full of arrogance. The man in the green Lu silk robe even jeered, "A measly Centurion wants to drink with me? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the puddle? I'm a Company Commander from Yongchang Garrison..."
He had let it slip.
Zhao Ling gave the man in green a disdainful glance and impatiently cut him off, calling out to Sanfu and Shizhu, "Beat him until he shuts up."
Beating an official!
Sanfu and Shizhu lacked the confidence but dared not disobey Zhao Ling. They glanced nervously at him while rolling up their sleeves and approaching the group.
Zhao Ling seemed displeased with their hesitation and shouted, "What are you afraid of? If anything happens, just blame Mo Yi!" He added, "Since he dared to send me to this godforsaken place, he can deal with the mess!"
Sanfu and Shizhu didn’t immediately grasp his meaning, but Fu Tingyun understood.
He was leveraging influence!
She silently admired his cleverness.
The man in green began to waver, his expression uncertain.
Mo Yi's reputation was well-known throughout the Gansu General Military Headquarters. Born into a prestigious family and a formidable warrior, he answered to no one but Marquis Yingchuan. If this man was brought here by Mo Yi, he must be either a relative or a close friend... The man's voice lowered, "May I ask, are you related to General Mo...?"
Zhao Ling didn’t even glance at him and slammed the door shut with a bang.
Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but smile.
Sanfu and Shizhu finally caught on. Though they swung their fists, they held back, moving deliberately slowly.
The innkeeper, eager to keep the peace, hurried between the two groups, bowing frantically to both sides. "We’re all friends here, no need to quarrel over trivial matters..."
The man in green seized the chance to save face. "Fine, out of respect for General Mo, I’ll let this go." His anger redirected at the innkeeper, "Get me some rooms now, or I’ll tear this place down!"
After some deliberation, the innkeeper went to negotiate with Master Ye.
Master Ye said nothing, simply smiling as he vacated a few rooms.
Listening to the commotion outside, Yang Yucheng sighed. "I thought only small merchants had to put up with this. Even a big name like Datong Company has to grin and bear it when dealing with these lowlifes." He added, "Having an official title really makes a difference."
Zhao Ling chuckled but remained silent.
A Sen peeked around curiously.
"What are you up to?" Jin Yuanbao playfully tapped his head.
A Sen pouted, rubbing his head. "Miss Fu sent me to see what the master is doing..."
Jin Yuanbao glanced at Zhao Ling with a smile. "What does Miss Fu need?"
"She said the fur coat is almost ready," A Sen replied. "She wanted to bring it over..."
"I’ll go see her," Zhao Ling stood up. "You two check the kitchen for food. With this heavy snow, more travelers might come. We don’t want to run out."Jin Yuanbao responded with a sound of acknowledgment.
Yang Yucheng watched as Zhao Ling left the room, then called out to Jin Yuanbao, "Hey," and said, "Don't you think Ninth Master..." He struggled to find the right words, pausing before continuing, "visits Miss Fu quite frequently?"
"Not at all!" Jin Yuanbao replied without hesitation. "Miss Fu is a woman traveling with us under difficult circumstances. It's only natural to check on her more often. You're overthinking it."
Yang Yucheng still felt something was off but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Finding Jin Yuanbao's reasoning plausible, he let out an awkward chuckle.
※※※※※
The fur-lined jacket had just been completed, and Fu Tingyun was tidying up her sewing supplies when she unexpectedly saw Zhao Ling arrive. Setting aside her work, she handed him the jacket. "Ninth Master, try this on to see if it fits. If there are any adjustments needed, let me know, and I'll make the changes."
Zhao Ling gave a quiet "Mm" in response, then went back to his room to change into the jacket before returning for Fu Tingyun's inspection.
Perhaps due to the days of recuperation, compared to when she first met him, his complexion had improved significantly, and his physique had grown more robust. The plain blue silk fur-lined jacket draped over Zhao Ling's upright frame exuded an air of dignified elegance.
"How is it?" he asked Fu Tingyun.
"Oh!" She quickly composed herself and examined the jacket carefully. "The size seems just right. Move around a bit to see if there's any discomfort."
Zhao Ling stretched his arms and said, "The cotton robe I'm wearing now was also made by you, and it fits perfectly." His implication was that this jacket should be no different.
Fu Tingyun couldn't find any flaws either and breathed a sigh of relief.
At least her efforts hadn't been in vain.
A faint sense of joy welled up in her heart, and she smiled. "The weather has turned chilly today, Ninth Master. Why not wear this jacket?"
Zhao Ling nodded and took a seat in the nearby Grand Tutor chair.
Fu Tingyun naturally poured him a cup of hot tea and brought up the earlier matter. "...If Mo Yi finds out about this, won't he try to undermine you?"
Though she recognized the cleverness of Zhao Ling's approach, her upbringing had instilled in her a preference for low-key pragmatism, and she couldn't help but feel some concern.
This entire area was filled with garrisons, and news of this incident would likely spread quickly. If Mo Yi were to sever ties with them afterward, Zhao Ling's situation could become quite difficult.
She had recently inquired with Zheng San to clarify the military hierarchy.
According to imperial regulations, ten men formed a squad, five squads made up a Centurion's unit, two Centurion units constituted a Hundred Household, ten Hundred Households formed a Chiliarch's command, and five Chiliarch commands composed a full garrison.
At present, Zhao Ling was only a Centurion."Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Zhao Ling took a sip of tea and explained his reasoning about Lu Cheng and Mo Yi with a smile. "By doing this, I hope my situation will reach Lu Cheng's ears through that centurion. If Mo Yi tells Lu Cheng the truth, given Lu Cheng's character—someone who even fawns over Mo Yi—he'll surely be even more eager to please someone connected to the Sixteenth Master! If Mo Yi keeps things from Lu Cheng, even better. Out of regard for Mo Yi, Lu Cheng will definitely show us extra consideration." He added, "If Mo Yi wants to distance himself from me, let him. After suddenly being assigned here by the Provincial Military Command, many people will want to know my background. When the time comes, if I tell the truth..." He winked at Fu Tingyun, suddenly revealing a childlike playfulness, "Mo Yi will probably have an even bigger headache. He might even step forward on his own to admit I'm his relative!"
Fu Tingyun's heart skipped a beat, as if pausing midair.
Her face grew slightly warm.
It suddenly occurred to her that A Sen sometimes winked like this too.
So, A Sen had learned it from Zhao Ling!
She couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
Like the sun breaking through clouds, like the rosy hues of dawn, the room suddenly seemed brighter.
Zhao Ling felt warmth spread through his heart.
How wonderful it would be if time could stand still in this moment!
Gazing at Fu Tingyun, he wished she could always remain this joyful and radiant in his presence...
※
I must keep going...
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel